In recent years innovative food service merchandising systems have been developed. Such systems are designed to give consumers convenient access to quality food products, while giving the operator of the system the capability to meet consumer demands with minimal labor, space and capital investment requirements. One such successful food service merchandising system involves the installation of food court systems in convenience stores and other retail environments. An example of such a food court system is the Modular Food Court System.TM., produced by Food Concepts, Inc., of Madison, Wis. This food court system includes multiple merchandising units connected together to form the food court. Each merchandising unit includes a countertop on which the equipment needed to prepare and/or merchandise food products is placed. Each merchandising unit in the food court may provide different food products for consumer purchase. Thus, for example, the countertops of the several merchandising units may support, for example, popcorn machines, coffee and soft drink dispensers, bakery display cases, and refrigerated or heated display cases for presentation of cold sandwiches, pizza, etc.
In order to maximize the eye appeal of the food court, and of the products provided therein, various aesthetic and structural elements are provided for the individual merchandising units. For example, the countertops may be covered by back lit vinyl, canvas, or other decorative awnings. These awnings are supported by support posts which extend upward from the floor at each corner of the food court merchandising unit. The support posts may also support changeable graphics panels for advertising the food products presented in each merchandising unit. Colorful tile panels, or other ornamentation, are provided on the front of the merchandising unit below the countertop. The awnings, support posts, and tiles are typically color coordinated to maximize the aesthetic appearance of the merchandising unit and of the food court as a whole.
Present food courts are built with traditional cabinet construction which provides the support structure for the merchandising unit. The merchandising unit countertop rests on the top of the cabinet, the support posts are connected at each corner of the cabinet, and the tile or other decorative treatment is applied to the front of the cabinet structure. The basic cabinet structures are made using common cabinet construction techniques which require substantial construction time and expertise. This greatly increases the cost and complexity of assembling the food court system, particularly where cabinet sizes must be customized to accommodate the particular space available for the food court system. Additionally, such cabinet structures are typically made of wood laminate materials which are both expensive and of limited structural integrity. The attachment of decorative front panels and support posts to the basic cabinet structure only increases the time, cost, and complexity of assembling the food court system.